763.72/2325½
The Ambassador in Italy (Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 27.]
My Dear Mr. Secretary: I have at last closed up and am sending forward in this pouch my report on the Ancona tragedy, together with the sworn statements and other official documents which we obtained, and the substance of which I had already telegraphed from day to day, as the information reached me. . . .
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The Balkan situation changes so rapidly these days that one hardly dares to form an opinion on what would generally be taken as a sound basis. The present storm-center is Greece, and if one place is more uncertain than another, Greece would seem to be that.
For example, day before yesterday afternoon, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in his opening declaration to the Chamber on its reconvening, declared that Greece had given satisfactory assurances to the Quadruple Alliance that she was going to stand by her engagements with them, and he seems to be assured that such residuum of difficulties as still remained would, without doubt, be readily disposed of.
This appeared satisfactory enough, especially coming from a man like Sonnino of whom the story is told that von Buelow said he had bad luck in Italy as when he came back as Ambassador to a country where every one talked about everything he found himself confronted by the only man who never said a word about anything.
The very next morning after Sonnino’s declaration, however, the Athens despatches declared that Greece had rejected all the proposals of the Quadruplice and was apparently nearer to attacking them than she had ever been before. This I understand the Greek Minister here has denied to the Italian Government and has declared to be without a word of truth in it.
What the truth is, I would not like to undertake to say; but I think this much may be affirmed with assurance, that Greece is going to do just the thing which she believes will be most for her interest, and [Page 731] her policy will follow the lead of the successes which take place about her. This at present would seem to give Germany the best chance of getting her aid. It is possible, however, that if England, France and Italy can make show enough to hold her in check until they get sufficient forces on hand, she may remain neutral. From present indications, it looks as though these powers were not going to push troops much further on the Greek side and might feel relieved to get those that they have there now safe back to Salonica, while Italy is, according to report, preparing the way for a big expedition into Albania. She is supposed to have already sent fifty or sixty thousand men over to Valona, and it is said that engineers and road-makers are busily at work building roads into Albania now.
The Adriatic is, however, at this moment, swarming with submarines and I understand the difficulties of supplying her troops are very great. I expect, though, to see Italy make a strong push to get an abiding foot-hold on the eastern shore of the Adriatic, and this was one of the plain intimations in Sonnino’s speech.
I know that the newspapers have given you substantially the whole of this speech, and I sent you a brief summary of the principal points made by him; but I am going to send a translation of the entire speech for the Department files, as it relates to Italy’s permanent policy along certain lines.
The speech was especially strong in its declaration as to Italy’s determination to fight the war through to the end alongside of her Allies and make no separate peace. This was a direct denial of intimations which have been going the rounds sub rosa in certain quarters and which had in fact aroused the apprehensions of some of her Allies. This apprehension,—and it might also be termed a belief, and certainly a suspicion,—seems to have been based on Italy’s not having declared war against Germany.
A curious thing about the speech is that the only reference to Germany in it is one to Germany’s having broken off diplomatic relations with Italy on her declaring war on Germany’s Ally. I feel pretty certain that she will keep out of war with Germany so long as she can.
There has been a sort of under-current latterly which from time to time seems more apparent than at others, critical of the present government for having plunged Italy into war precipitately, and having misread the signs.
This I understand to be the position of the opponents of the present Government, headed, it is said, by those very near to the former Premier. Sonnino’s speech seems to have been a sort of answer to this. The other side, however, say that Time will justify their view.
[Page 732]It would appear, therefore, that the present Government must fight the thing through, or they will be held responsible for the failure. The divergence, although not apparent on the surface, is very wide; but the present Government are undoubtedly most patriotic and apparently determined, as I rather think they must be.
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Believe me [etc.]